SUNY Oswego raises awareness about sexual assault, dating violence virtually

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Since most SUNY Oswego students are practicing social distancing at home, annual events that encourage people to learn more about sexual assault have been either canceled or have continued online. 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and every year SUNY Oswego hosts multiple events to teach students about the signs to watch out for and the resources available to them on campus.

However, due to COVID-19, Title IX Coordinator Lisa Evaneski, along with the #ItsOnOz Initiative and the One Love Foundation, have had to find ways to promote their programs and ways to execute them as well. Evaneski also wanted to make sure that students knew that she was still accessible if they needed to report an incident.

“[I] usually encourage people to just email me. I still have the ability to receive cases from the University Police, from ResLife, but also individuals have contacted me if they need help with something with a previous case,” Evaneski said.

Yards for Yeardley, arguably the largest gathering, is a walk-a-thon in honor of University of Virginia student Yeardley Love, who was three weeks shy of graduating before she was fatally beaten by her ex-boyfriend. Students participate all over the world and log hundreds of thousands of yards walking each year. This year, SUNY Oswego decided to host the event virtually.

“One Love decided to do a month-long Yards for Yeardley to raise awareness up until the anniversary of her death, which is May 3rd and some of our students and employees that are out walking, running, biking… getting creative about it. They’ve been sending me pictures and videos and we’re putting them on our social media. Right now we are at over 4.5-million yards,”   Evaneski said.

For more information on how to get involved with Yards for Yeardley and for more events go to Oswego’s Title IX website or follow #itsonoz on all social media sites.